The Allawi government’s decision to ban Al-Jazeera has received a lot of attention. Rather less has been paid to a subsequent announcement of a wide range of rules to be applied by the new Higher Media Commission. Prominent among them is a prohibition of “unwarranted criticism” of Allawi himself. This was reported in Australia’s Financial Review and also in the Financial Times (both subscription only) and also in a number of Arab and antiwar papers, but not in any of the general mainstream press.
For those inclined to a “slippery slope” view of censorship, this is certainly a case study.
Here’s a protest letter from the Committee to Protect Journalists.
John Quiggin 
Please try to be logical about this.
The Glorious President of the U.S. was, as he said chosen by God Almighty. Therefore he is infallible.
He (and He therefore) made an infallible choice when he and Halliburton gave the job to Allawi.
Given those indisbutable facts it certainly the choice of God Almighty has decided not to accept critism.
Your post seems to imply that God Almighty does not exist and is totally made up. Prove that! Kings have rights you know.
It was only a few weeks ago that I heard howard saying that it will be good when Iraq gets “a form of democracy”.
Well ,that is the best that they will do under this ex bathist thug allawi.
Allawi is in the tradition of other US “puppet” regimes in the past. I’m old enough to remember Ngo Dien Diem,the “President” of South Vietnam,until he got out of hand ,and the CIA had to organise a coup to remove him/.(The Coup went astray and the “President” and his awful thuggish brother were killed. It was said Pres. Kennedy was shocked as this last event hadn’t been in the script. Likewise Suharto in Indonesia,another US choice and of the course the Shah of Iran would be the best(or worst ) of these creatures of Washington! I guess that Allawi will have a short reign,falling foul to either his local enemies or some former friends…Chalabi would seem a dangerous man to offen(as Allawi has just done) All in All,another day in the Decline and Fall of the US Empire. !!.
Well, I suppose banning them has to be an improvement on shooting them.
And, Brian McKinlay, don’t forget the South American puppets, almost too numerous to mention. Oh, yes, and also don’t forget Malcolm Fraser and John Howard.
I take it we’re all agreed on freedom of the press then and that even mature democracies can make mistakes like HREOC censorship of the press. Naturally enough, all the more reason to stay the course for us to ensure free elections in January as planned, to replace any hint of puppetry. Reconciled at last.
Lacking in substance
Via Crooked Timber, we learn that the new Iraqi government has followed up its ban on Al-Jazeera with a broader ban on any “unwarranted criticism” of Prime Minister Allawi. I’ll let you come up with your own snark about how this fits into our plan to…